Sunday 17th June 2007
We left home at 11am from Nelson Bay to go to Williamtown - Newcastle Airport to pick up the Tarago Hire Car from Avis. $117.
5.45pm we flew out of Sydney airport with Jetstar. When Jetstar went international 26th July 2006, they had a special.
I got our flights to Bali for $7 over and $7 back, each person. Plus taxes. Great value.
The flight went well and my 2 and a half year old Bobby was excellent on the flight.
We went through VOA = Visa on arrival and customs very fast.
Our Driver Komong was waiting at the airport to take us to Bakungsari Hotel.
Komong has a small bus. Seating for 10. He fee for Kuta area is only 50,000RP. He can be contacted on his mobile +628124656957.
When we arrived at Bakungsari Hotel, the staff was so excited to see us back again.
My 17th trip to Bali.
I always book room 211. It is a standard room, but it has a bath for the kids and it cost 225,000RP per night.
My daughter Sharee and her boyfriend Joel always get room 216. It is a superior room overlooking the pool but only has a shower. There room cost for a superior room is 275,000RP per night.
My daughter's friends, Rechelle, Chris, Drew was next to her in Superior rooms 217, 218. They overlook the pool too.
And Katie was in room 104. It is a superior room but on the ground floor. A good room for someone who cant get up the stairs.
My mum had room 221. A superior room overlooking the pool and facing the dining room. My mum said this is the better room after staying at Bakungsai Hotel 4 times now.
I headed straight to bed but the teenagers all headed straight for The Bounty to party.
Monday 18th June 2007
We woke up and went straight for breakfast. Then we headed for a money changer. We cant do anything till we get some money. Then over to Matihari to get a Mentari Bali sim card. 50,000RP. We checked out Kuta markets. I didn't buy any thing because it is mostly old stock. All the same as last year. But just as I was leaving, I saw this beautiful dress. I thought I bartered real hard but I couldn't manage to get the dress for under 50,000RP. Then we headed back to the motel for a swim in the pool and hung around the pool for the afternoon. We had an early night because Bobby, my 2 and a half year old went to sleep at 4.30PM. He had me up all night with a middle ear infection. I think from getting water in his ear from the pool. I'm lucky I brought over the baby panadol and antibiotics for him. But what a night I had.
Tuesday 19th June 2007
We woke up to rain today. We went and had breakfast. After breakfast the rain stopped so we ventured out on the streets. Shopped till we dropped for the day. My daughter Sharee babysat the kids while I went for Dinner at Glory Restaurant. I met my mum, sister and 3 of there friends there. They are all staying at the Bali Garden Resort. I had a fisherman's basket again. 60,000RP. A fantastic meal but I can never get through it.
Wednesday 20th June 2007
It rained nearly all day today I cant believe the weather. Nowhere near as hot and sunny as it usually is but we normally come at the end of July beginning of August for our birthdays. We did manage to get out for a little while. The teenagers all went to the Bounty tonight. Like they do every night. Drew fell of the stage onto a Jam Jar and cut his hand open badly. Katie was walking home with friends at 4am. A motor bike went past and the driver snatched her handbag. Her handbag had a small amount of cash and a new $600 underwater camera and the hotel room key in it. To replace the hotel room key is a fee to the motel of $75USD. But they only charged her 50,000RP because she reported it to the polici.
Thursday 21st June 2007
Today we walked the back streets for shopping bargains. Just down from Supa Nova, there is a toy shop. I got Bobby some battery operated toy cars for 10,000 RP each. A great bargain and a great toy shop. We went to Bubba Gumps for my mums friend, Toni's 55th birthday. We had a great diner and a great night. We supplied the birthday cake and the staff came out banging pots and pans and then sang her happy birthday.
Friday 22nd June 2007
I was having breakfast this morning, when my mum showed up. My mum's friends got drunk last night and kept my mum up all night with there noise.The 3 of them are sharing a triple room at the Bali Garden Resort. My mum is so upset. She is not a drinker and was not happy about it at all. She is going to check out of the Bali Garden Resort and check in here at the Bakungsari hotel with me. Mum has came to Bali with me before and we have stayed here at the Bakungsari Hotel. She has never had a problem before. She was coming to Bali with me this trip and was staying at Bakungsari Hotel with my family and I. Then her friends wanted to come to Bali with us. One of her friend is an up market sort of person and didn't want to stay at Bakungsari hotel. She wanted to stay in a big resort, so my mum changed motels to Bali Garden Resort. Anyway mum went down to pack her bag and change motels while I took the kids to Waterbomb park. We had a lovely afternoon there. I bought 10 DVDs and got 3 free for 100,000RP. Had diner with my mum at Jensen's.
Saturday 23rd June 2007
We went shopping at Melasti Markets.Not much different stuff from last year. But I did manage to get an outfit for my little niece Desiree, for her birthday. It cost 45,000RP. It is a crotchet top and skirt. It is so beautiful. We had diner at Stadium Cafe. A great meal. Seafood Fettuccini 57,000RP. Its good to eat here for me because we sit on the back verandah and the kids play on the swing set out the back. I then get to eat my diner in piece.
Sunday 24th June 2007
I got a cold breakfast this morning. Noodles, eggs, bacon, all cold. We had a quiet day at the motel today. We spent a few hours by the pool. I gave my mum my last $100 AUD to change for me. She got a good rate at 7552. From now on I will have to use my Wizard Visa Card in the ATM at the Mini Bar to get cash out. I had a sleep for 2 hours this afternoon. Sharee, Joel, Sally, Bobby and I went for diner at the Bali Rock in JL Melasti. I forgot to get the name of my meal but I think it was the best meal I had in Bali this trip. The only problem was that I had to rush my diner because Bobby was so tired, he was crying to go home to go to bed. That's my fault because I have my kids in so much of a routine.
Monday 25th June 2007
I had my hair done at Lucy's today. I got it washed, cut into a style, blow dried, and straightened for 45,000RP. Lucy's is in the same street as Bakungsari Hotel Office. I then went to the internet cafe. 1/2 an hour for 3,000RP. But it was as slow as a wet week. My mum and I met her friends at Indo-national Restaurant. I had a seafood soup and seafood Lasagna. Once again I had to leave diner early because Bobby came down with the flu which seams to be raging around Bali. But then I was told it is Dengue Fever raging which is caused by mosquitoes. So the owners of Indo-national Restaurant, Kerry and Milton put my diner on a take away plate for me to take back to eat it in my hotel room later. I don't seam to be having much luck going for diner with Bobby.
Tuesday 26th June 2007
I had to get funds out of the ATM at the Mini Mart today. I used my Wizard Visa Card. There is no fee's for cash advances. I got 1 million out. 1,000,000RP. Wow I am a millionaire in Bali. Bobby has a nasty cough. It sounds like croup to me. I got him some cough mixture for 25,000RP. The lady told me the cough would be gone in 3 days. It is a very good cough mixture she said. It is called Actifed.
Wednesday 27th June 2007 - (A day I will never forget)
Wow, today in Bali is the Balinese Christmas. I day I will never forget. I was at the little end of the pool and Bobby was walking around the deep end of the pool and slipped in. I saw it happen and started running up the other end to get him. As I was running and pointing to him, I was yelling on the top of my voice, "GET THE BABY. GET THE BABY". 3 men just dived straight in and got him and handed him to me. I put him in recovery position, cleared his airways, but he was fine. He was breathing on his own. Another scare for me. This same thing happened at Christmas time 06 but a little worse. Bobby was rushed to hospital in an Ambulance. They wanted to check he didn't have water on the lungs but he ended up being fine. Well I had no idea how to thank these guys. So I said thank you and bought them a packet of life savers each. I thought that was an appropriate gift for the situation. Bobby slept for a few hours after that happened. When he woke up I took him down to Stadium Cafe so he could play on the swing set out the back for a while. We just had an early night that night.
Thursday 28th June 2007
We had breakie early and then I took the washing over to the laundry. I always like to get all my washing done before I go home. Saves on work when you get home and its so cheap. We walked down to Kuta Square. Discovery mall. I bought Bobby a Thomas the tank engine swimming vest for 129,000RP. A Thomas the tank engine play laptop 129,000RP. A Percy from Thomas the tank engine range for 79,000RP. We bought some food at Bread Talk and had a hot chocolate at a coffee shop. We then walked back to the motel and just had a quiet night with diner in the room and watched DVDs. I great movie was The hitcher.
Friday 29th June 2007
I woke up at 5am this morning. I tried to go back to sleep but I couldn't. So I laid there and watched more DVDs till the kids woke up. We went and had breakfast. This was the first morning, out of the whole time at Bakungsari Hotel that I got a hot breakfast. I have never had this problem before but this time was shocking. I had my hair done again at Lucy's. I go to her every holiday in Bali and we have become very good friends. I had my hair washed, blow dried and straightened and my daughter Sally had her hair washed, cut and blow dried for 55,000RP. Tonight at Bakungsari hotel, we get a free diner on the last night of your stay at the hotel. They don't give you the voucher, you have to go to the office and ask. Our driver Komang picked up us at 8.30PM to take us to the airport. The flight home with Jetstar was good. We slept the whole trip home. When we got into Sydney airport and went through customs. Got our Tarago hire car and headed back home. A 3 hour drive home to Nelson Bay. OMG Sydney is freezing. Now we are planning next years trip.
Not a very good JBR but the best I can do.